Tired of waiting for the Fedex Truck to come pick up from our warehouse, we took matters into our own hands and dropped off the boxes ourselves.

If you haven't already heard the good news, we are proud to announce that the first set of Zen Float Tents shipped from our warehouse last week. By the end of this week, floaters all over the country will be floating right from the comfort of their homes for the first time and in just a few weeks to follow, floaters all around the world will also be doing the same!

Since the launch of our Kickstarter Campaign back in April of this year, Zen Float Co has been hard at work to make the world's first affordable float tank come to life. We admit, the journey to get to this point took us a little longer than we expected. Prior to launching on Kickstarter, we had made many prototypes but nothing could have fully prepared us for the success on Kickstarter and the challenges of a full production run.

Jump down the road about four or five months and we now have now have materials, components, machines, staff and we are in constant production. We are continually ordering ahead to ensure we don't run out. We have hand picked and changed suppliers, some have delivered early, some late, but now we have that momentum going to keep producing at full force.

The end result is a finished masterpiece that features a high quality UV filter, water temperature control, a strong stainless steel frame and double layer vinyl, all wrapped in a pyramid design to ensure great airflow, no annoying dripping and a full blow float experience. We wanted floating to be inexpensive and accessible and now, it finally is!

With the first production run out of the way, we can focus more on building up our inventory while working on new accessory options for the Zen Float Tent. We can't tell you all the details just yet but let's just say that underwater music is looking good for the near future. We also have a few other ideas up our sleeves that we can't wait to tell you more about in the coming year.

One thing is for sure, and that's that we couldn't have done this without the support of each and every one our backers. So, on behalf of everyone here at Zen Float Co, we would like to personally thank every one of you for your commitment, patience and belief in us! Your everlasting support will not be forgotten.

You are probably wondering what it’s going to be like to float in a tent for the first time, as opposed to a traditional float pod or tank that is offered at a Float Center. It’s no doubt that your first float experience is going to be slightly different than what you are used to but it many cases we think you'll actually like the experience much more. Before you enter the floating zone, here are some things to consider for your first float in a tent:

Your First Tent Float

Whether you’re an avid floater or this is going to be your first time floating, you can prepare for your float just the same as you would at a traditional Float Center:

Try to avoid having caffeine, alcohol, or other stimulants before hand that might ruin your ability to relax and unwind.

Another thing to avoid is eating right before your float as digestion may cause distraction while floating.

Make sure you wear something comfortable to float in. Usually the less you can wear the better, as clothing can be a distraction.

Ways to ensure the best float in a tent

1. Float at the quietest time of the day

Unless you live by yourself in the middle of nowhere, it is likely there are periods throughout the day that are more and less noisy in or around your home. Try to float when you know there isn’t going to be a lot of distraction to interrupt your float.

If you know you want to float at a certain time, make sure you do any necessary prep work to the tent beforehand. Whether that be adjusting the water heat, cleaning or skimming it, or adding more epsom salt, it’s going to be more beneficial for your float and mental state to do this hours before instead of right when you are ready to get in. This way, if things go wrong you have time to plan your float session accordingly.

3. Have a moment to yourself before getting in

Many float centers offer a quiet room for you to sit in beforehand and begin to clear your mind. We recommend doing the same thing at home. Whether it be sitting for ten minutes in the room you float in, or you simply taking a short walk around your neighborhood, take the time to clear your mind and mentally get ready before your float.

Benefits of Floating in a Tent

We find that there are not only benefits to floating in a tent but also in floating in the comfort of your home.

More Control

Floating in a tent in your own home means the control is completely in your hands. You can choose an exact water temp of your preference, which is varies from person to person. You can also decide how long you want to float, whether you want the lights on or off, the door open or closed, etc. You have the freedom to decide on all of these factors.

In-Tent Experience

Many people like the design of our tent because of the pyramid scheme and feel that it offers a more open, less claustrophobic type feel. Either way, floating in a tent is an experience you won't be able to find at just any typical Float Center and is unique to our product.

Customizable

Above anything else, the biggest benefit of floating in a tent is the ability to customize your experience to exactly how you like it. If you decide you want to have a timed float session, you can easily add a timer or some sort of stop watch near the outside of the tent to alert you when your session is over. You can even decide what you want you want to wear, if you’d rather float in clothes or none at all. Because you’re in the comfort of your home, you can easily customize your experience to work best for you and your preferences.

Your experience is up to you

In the end, you won’t know how much you’ll love floating in a tent until you try it out for yourself. Good news is we still have Float Tents available for October pre-sale. If you wish to purchase one or find out more, please click here.

Did you find this article helpful in what to expect for your first float in a tent? We would love to hear your feedback. Please leave us a comment below and let us know what you think!

Here’s the question we get a lot.. “Does your tank have any sound proofing?” Basically, does the Zen Float Tent cut down on noise during a float?

When designing the Zen Float Tent we really focused on a light-weight, thin walled design so it would be affordable, shippable, and easy to move. We want to make floating accessible to the whole world, and that comes with some limitations. Even the most expensive float tanks don’t eliminate sound, they only reduce it. You’ve got to have a quiet setting.

Real sound proofing in any float tank comes from the room. It’s the reason float centers are in quiet locations, and the reason they tell all their patrons to “keep quiet.” It’s all about the room and environment. The best way to have a silent float is to tell anyone in the vicinity that you’re floating. Then they can help keep it quiet.

Another big reason sound isn’t a scary issue is because your ears are under water. It really cuts down the sound! I’ve been floating for years and let me tell you.. when your ears are under the water you don’t hear much. Try taking a bath and sticking your ears under the water, you will see what I’m talking about. Not to mention so many floaters use ear plugs. What does get through is the deep thuds, the loud booms, or heavy footsteps. If you can’t get rid of these, you may have problems.

Naturally there are going to be people in apartments, in cities, etc. and it will require sound dampening the room. I use to work in sound studios and it was all about insulation and absorbing the sound. In fact, I had a sound booth in my basement and I lined it with mattresses and threw a rug on the ground, it worked great! It dampens the sound waves, and makes for a more quiet environment. Check out some great ways to quiet a room here

Here’s the rule of thumb if you’re thinking if purchasing a tank. Do you have a room and environment you could meditate in without distraction? If you have that.. you can have a successful float there. You can always throw in ear plugs too.

At the end, sound is the easiest variable to fix, and with a little creativity you can figure out a quiet setting to float in.

If you've ever considered buying a sensory deprivation tank for your home, one of the first thoughts that probably came to your mind is, "What does it cost to heat a float tank?"

Most people assume that keeping a float tank heated year-round is expensive, but we've tested it and the costs equal out to be more affordable than most might think.

Let's dive deeper....

The ideal floating temp is 93.5 F, this is because even though your core temperature is 98.7 F, your skin isn't. Depending on your personal preference you may choose to keep your float tank water anywhere between 93-94 degrees F.

How long does it take to heat up a float tank for the first time?

While we can't speak for every tank, we've experimented with the Zen Float Tent using our handy dandy electrical meter and these are the results we found:

We started by dropping the tank to room temperature which turned out to be 61 degrees (water is colder than air at room temp), and then proceeded to heat it back up.

It took 30 hours to raise the temp 30 degrees. We designed the heating system to be affordable, and always on. This means it's not about speed, it's about efficiency.

How much does it cost to heat a float tank up and keep it heated?

It took 23.9 Kwh to raise the tank 30 degrees. In Utah it's 8.8 cents per kilowatt. Just over $2.10 to heat up.

• Temperature maintenance has come in cheaper at about $1.20 a day in Utah. Keep in mind I we recommend keeping your home float room at about 78 F. If your tank is in a cooler room it will affect your daily cost.

PRO TIP: when the air temp is 78 F, it makes it so that the air being drawn into your tank while floating will feel like the water temperature.

Another thing to remember is that when you first put in your salt it will drop the water temp SIGNIFICANTLY! Don't worry, once all the salt is dissolved the water will return to a normal temperature, and then you can heat it up.

The Zen Float Tent is an isolation tank. Ever seen the movie Altered States? Well…it’s nothing like that. Now that we got that out of the way, let me give you a quick rundown on what exactly an isolation tank is. Also known as a sensory deprivation chamber, it does exactly that…deprives your senses.

How does it do this? The tank is well, a tank. Picture a rectangular box about the size of a twin bed. Got it? Now imagine roughly 12-inches of water completely saturated in Epsom salt. The user gets into the tank and lays down, much like you would in say, a tanning bed. The interior of the tank is completely dark (depriving you of sight), and totally soundproof (depriving you of sound). The high proportion of salt in the water renders the user weightless (depriving you of touch). And lastly, both the air in the tank and the temperature of the water are set to match that of the human body, making it difficult to differentiate one from the other. By removing these external stimuli, the mind is then free to operate without restriction.

Isolation tanks were first introduced in the 1950s by a man named John C. Lilly. Lilly used the tanks in sensory deprivation research and its effects on the brain. If you short circuited reading that last sentence, just know that essentially Lilly was researching human consciousness. Groovy right? Other researchers like Peter Suedfeld and Roderick Borrie hopped on the bandwagon and continued isolation tank research through the 1970s. And yes, they did what all scientists in the 60s and 70s would do…experimented with mind-bending hallucinogens.

However, by the early 1980s isolation tanks had pretty much dropped off the grid. They remained in the shadows, used only by diehard enthusiasts until recently. Within the last 10 years, isolation tanks have seen a resurgence in private and commercial usage. Up until now, if you wanted to float you could either fork over $15K-$30K for your own tank, or drop $50+ for a single-use session at a float spa. Now, most of us don’t have multiple thousands of dollars hanging around in our bank accounts so purchasing a private tank has only worked for a small fraction of the population. And unless you live in a progressive, free-thinking city (i.e., New York, Los Angles, Portland, Denver etc.) that actually has float centers, well then…you’re screwed.

By this point in the article your interested should be piqued just enough to want to know the essential question: Why float?

I could go on and on about the positive benefits associated with floating, but that might give me carpel tunnel trying to type it all out and you might get bored, so I’ll only give you the highlights. The first and probably most common reason to float is relaxation. The isolation tank gets rid of worldly distractions to allow your mind time to rest, think, and recharge. It’s pretty much like meditating….but way better. Folks who regularly float often report they feel more calm, centered, happy, and balanced.

In addition to experiencing all those feel-good emotions mentioned above, floating is also a helpful tool for pain management. Remember how I said the water is saturated with Epsom salt? Well, Epsom salt contains a high proportion of a compound known as magnesium sulfate. In an environment like the tank where the user is immersed in a magnesium rich solution, the salty water has the ability to draw toxins from the body, reduce swelling, relax muscles, aid with skin problems, lower blood pressure, increase the effectiveness of insulin (for folks with Diabetes), and can even help ease problems associated with the common old and congestion. Bottom line? Floating is good for your mind, body, and soul.

So now that you’re jazzed on floating, let me wrap up by bringing this whole thing full circle and coming back to the Zen Float Tent. The Float Tent is what it sounds like. It’s a sensory deprivation tent. It maintains all the traditional elements of the isolation tank, but in a new revolutionary design that is affordable and intended for home-use. For less than $1,800 users can purchase the Zen Float Tent and not have to worry about expensive plumbing issues, or time constraints. Set up the Float Tent in any part of your home and float as many times a week as you wish, for as long as you want.

This is cool not only for me as a writer, but for everyone in the floating community and industry. It is the first time that floating has been made available to the masses at a cost effective price. Think of the people who can now afford to float…and all the positive rewards from floating they’ll now be able to reap! Don’t know about you, but I’m excited for better vibes to be brought into the world. Many thanks to the creators of Zen Float Tents for making it possible.

Peace of mind is the most important part of floating and if you’re concerned about how clean the water is it’s going to affect your float. You need confidence the water is fresh and clean which is a two part process. First you’ve got to kill the bacteria, second you’ve got to filter the debri (hair, skin, oil, etc). Think of it like zapping the germs, and catching the gunk in a net. lol

The first part of our design is a custom submersible pump with UV filter (black piece). This piece draws the water in and runs it under an actual UV light that kills the bacteria. If you want to read up more on this process click here. Once the water is sterilized under the UV light it’s pumped out through the filter, that’s the cream piece on the left. This picture shows the filter connected directly to the pump, but in the actual tank we send the water down a hose to the other end of the tank where it then goes out the filter. We designed it like this so that water is drawn in on one end of the tank and exits on the other. This creates a natural circulation so all of the water is cleaned instead of just one area in the tank.

The tank holds about 240 gallons of water and our pump cleans about 26 gallons per hour. SO, your water will be totally cycled and cleaned about once every 8 hours. Pretty sweet considering the system is always on when you’re not floating. Almost 3 full water cycles of cleaning every day.

Check out this technical drawing of the filtration system. The water enters at one end of the tank in the submersible UV Filter/Pump. The water is sent down a hose to the other end of the tank where it exits through the filter. The filter is actually on the end of the tank with the door so each month or so when you clean the filter you just lean in, disconnect the filter, wash it, and reconnect. It’s that easy. Trust me… low maintenance is the key to good home floating.

So I’ve had a lot of experience helping people build float tanks… and I’ve come to the conclusion that radiant heating is the best way to heat your water, when possible. This isn’t some novel idea for people that know tanks, but for those who may be new to floating, here’s why:

1. Radiant can always be on to maintain the perfect temperature for LONG floats. (Over 1 hour) Whereas a non-radiant system will lose temp slightly over time, and will need to be turned on between floats to get back to temp.

2. No plumbing required! Less plumbing stuff… less chance for leaks.

3. It makes the water more consistent. Sometimes with heating systems that pump the water in, the water can have a cooler spot on the other end of the tank.

Simple, but great benefits. NOW, here’s the catch with radiant heating and what we had to do to get around it with our new tank. Radiant Heaters are known to have slight electrical noises when they turn on and off. We had to make a custom designed heat pad that was bigger and silent. This adds some cost, but it makes the floating experience right, and that is mandatory.

In developing these new custom heat pads we were able to add a lot more benefit than planned. The foam made the tank softer on the feet, and because it compresses it made it safer and less slippery to step into. The foam also insulates the water from the ground which helps maintain temperature. This is very important because we went with a thin wall design. Thin walls make the tank more affordable, and lighter to ship.